The day started out overcast with showers, casting a shadow
on my plans for lots of outdoor time during the day.

My mind started doing its time-travelling thing, projecting
into the future, trying to figure out how to change it up and going off on all
sorts of possible scenario tangents.

As I arrived on top of the mountain, I sat in meditation for
a short time at the Dandenong Ranges National Park Scenic Lookout. When I
opened my eyes, the clouds had parted and the fingers of God shone down from
the sky — I took it as a good sign!

The day progressed with a few of these bolster yoga
poses with someone later declaring a newfound love affair with her bolster
cushion.

This was followed by lots of meditation exercises, most of
which we had practiced so far in the course and a few new ones. Particularly
popular was the mountain meditation (my favourite guided meditation). In it, we
contemplate as though we become the mountain, embodying qualities of stability,
strength and groundedness. We visualise the changing nature of the weather and the
seasons… through it all, the mountain
just sits. It was a time to reflect on our own emotional storms, inner and
outer crises, our thoughts and feelings, which are much like the changing weather
beating upon the mountain. Through the stillness and insights of our
meditation, we realise that we too can come to embody the same steadfast qualities
of a mountain through all the changes, the pits and peaks we face.

Once the silence had lifted, everyone felt that they had
given themselves a very special gift — the gift of time. Time to rejuvenate, with
nothing to prove, nowhere to be and time to release all the rushing, the doing and
the neglecting of our own experience.

And so, we finished the day with a quote from (the quirky,
but ever-wise) Dr. Seuss:

"You're off the great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!”

Nik x.

p.s. The bonus is that all participants in the 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course may attend future 'Days of Mindfulness' for free. A great way to connect and support our ongoing mindfulness practice.

I'm sharing a few more insights into the path that led me to where I am today with Women in Business. You can also see it featured over on the Women in Business website.

I had studied Business Management and Arts at Monash
University and always found that I had an entrepreneurial spirit. While my
children were toddlers, I launched myself into my children’s furniture and home
wares design company.

I became interested in mindfulness after arriving at a low
point in my life, overwhelmed by the stressfulness of living, where I would try
(almost) anything to find some measure of stress relief. At the time, I thought I was the only one feeling overwhelmed.
Little did I know that I was in company of many, many others.

I then started practising mindfulness and meditation,
sporadically (and somewhat sceptically) at first. Everything changed for me
after I went on my first silent meditation retreat. I had wanted to go on a
silent retreat for many years; however I was very nervous about actually doing
it.

My sister-in-law invited me along to a seven-day silent
Buddhist meditation retreat. It was very challenging, even more than I
expected. Ultimately, it became a really pivotal point in my life. I had been
running from my past and during that week, I finally found what I needed to
stop running.

After that, I enrolled to study counselling, which had
always been a secret passion of mine. I was then lucky enough to quickly gain
incredible experience at various addiction recovery centres, doing outreach,
one-on-one counselling and teaching recovery groups, including courses in
mindfulness- based relapse prevention.

Now that my kids are all in school, I have decided to return
to my own business focusing on developing the Mindfulness Project.

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR
GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?The discovery of Mindfulness as a
method of regaining control of a life that feels out of control and enjoying
and experiencing life as it should be. This discovery and my subsequent training in MBSR is
allowing me to pass along this breakthrough to help others and enable them to
live joy-filled, healthier and more encouraged lives.

WHAT'S BEEN YOUR
BIGGEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?The biggest challenge so far is overcoming people’s
scepticism. I understand it, because I was once sceptical about
mindfulness and meditation myself. People have a lot of questions, which I
welcome, because someone once took the time to answer my questions and their
answers helped me reach the point of developing my inner strength through
mindfulness and meditation.

BEST LESSON YOU'VE
LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?I ended up spending hundreds of dollars employing someone
called a ‘visual communication expert’ who was totally off the mark regarding
my vision. I realised along the way that I already knew what I wanted
the look and feel of my brand to be. Realising that gave me the courage to go
ahead with my ideas. I found a fabulous graphic designer through Etsy to help
me bring it to light. It was a big lesson in learning to follow my instincts and
understanding that no one knows my vision for my business better than me.

A WEBSITE, BOOK OR
RESOURCE THAT HAS HELPED YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS OR INSPIRED YOU AND WHY?I’d recommend Mindful Magazine because it encourages,
applauds, and shares methods for incorporating mindfulness into everyday life
for everyone.

WHICH PERSON OR BRAND
DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?Lululemon.

I love their philosophy and brand. I love that the company
was founded by a surfer, who got the same ‘surfie buzz’ after a yoga class. My
favourite quote from their manifesto reads, “Breathe deeply and appreciate the
moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.” Oh, and they also make the comfiest yoga gear.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE SOMEONE STARTING AN INDEPENDENT BUSINESS IN YOUR INDUSTRY?Stay disciplined with your own mindfulness and meditation
practice, maintain close connections with a network of colleagues and enjoy
yourself!

FINISH THIS SENTENCE, EVERYTHING CHANGED
FOR ME WHEN…I realised that if I wanted to raise happy, resilient,
amazing kids … I had to go first.

There is an old Zen saying which goes, “You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy. Then you should sit for an hour.”

I have been busy lately. Well, I am often busy, but establishing Mindfulness Project has accelerated my usual busyness.

However, busyness doesn’t always equal effectiveness. I can sit at the computer for hours being, for all intents and purposes, very ‘busy’, and achieve very little. I get lost down that never-ending rabbit hole of the Internet. When I’m busy, it’s easy to get muddled, feel overwhelmed, lose track of what really needs to be done.

Now I’m realising I have far more clarity, I accomplish more and I'm more effective when I Step Away from the Computer.

Sometimes, I find that I achieve more when I am at my least ‘busy’– new ideas come, plans solidify, things I need to do for my work flow quickly and more easily. I realise that letting my mind, body and spirit rest can be just as beneficial as being busy.

Going for a walk with my dog to a local café, where I write or make further plans for my work, or sitting on my deck taking in the breathtaking views of the Yarra Valley – this is when the magic happens.

I’m shifting gears now from establishing Mindfulness Project to focusing on preparations for the first Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course starting in a few weeks. I spend many hours preparing and planning for courses and as I move into teaching mode I’m feeling excited and renewed. Mindfulness practice, whilst challenging at times, is truly energising. And I cant wait to share it with all the wonderful people who have signed up to the groups starting very soon.